Magic In Your Veins
by RosalynGlass
Summary: Nathan, Audrey, and Duke try to stop a new evil before it destroys their town. They just have to beat death and memory loss first. Duke\Audrey.
1. You Can Look, But You'd Better Not Touch

•

The best thing to hold onto in life

Is each other.

A cold that had nothing to do with the morgue's low temperatures seeped into Nathan's bones. He had seen plenty of bodies on these metal slabs, blue-lipped and skin a bloodless grey. Stringy blonde hair fanned out, spilling over the edge of the table.

"You're sure?" Nathan asked thickly.

"I wish I wasn't," Gloria carefully turned the dead woman's head so Nathan could see the hole at the base of her skull. "But there isn't much that could make a wound like that."

Maybe the universe was playing some kind of joke on him, seeing how far Nathan could be pushed before he snapped and became a permanent resident of the Freddy. "This can't be happening. We just started living again."

Gloria's eyes filled with sympathy. She pursed her lips as she pulled the white sheet back over the girl's face. "I'll let you know when I have an ID."

Nathan nodded, and left feeling numb. He had hoped he would never feel that way again. But even though the Troubles were over, it was clear his problems weren't. Whoever killed that girl with a bolt gun was making sure of that.

2\

Duke had thought the isolation would be the worst part of death, being so completely cut off from the people he cared about. "Good morning," the small red-head said cheerfully as she joined him.

He was wrong.

The worst part was that Claire could nag him whenever she wanted. Which, apparently, was _always_. "It was," he said, walking across the road to Joe's Bakery and unfortunately being followed.

"Have you thought any more about what we talked about?" Claire said, moving at an awkward pace between walking and jogging to keep up with his long strides.

"You know, I meant to, but then I realized," he stopped suddenly as he turned to look at her, taking a deep breath and letting it out in a small laugh, "I don't care."

Exasperation washed over the small woman's face, her hands went to her hips as she glared up at him. "Why are you staying here? Why walk around a town you no longer live in, see people you can no longer talk to, and stew in your own misery?"

"Hate to break it to you, sweetheart, but you brought the misery. I was feeling pretty good before you showed up." Turning on his heel, he continued down the sidewalk.

"It's been six months, Duke. I understand you're need to grieve the loss of your own life, but maybe it's time to move onto the next phase."

"You've been gone for almost two years," he argued. "Why should I walk into the great, bright, light of nowhere when you haven't?"

"It's been two years since I died. We're dead. I'm staying here because I have work to do, you don't." She grabbed his wrist, bringing him to a stop. He quickly pulled away from her. "You're free. You made your sacrifice, saved thousands, and now you are free."

Free? The thought was laughable. No one was ever free of Haven. "I don't have time for this."

"Because Paige will be leaving her apartment any minute?" Pity colored her voice, and wasn't that just so much worse than anger? "This isn't healthy. Audrey wouldn't have wanted—"

"Shut up!" He snarled, his gaze snapping up to meet hers. Whatever she saw in his eyes surprised her enough that she took a step back. "You can pester me until world stops turning. You can bitch about how poorly I'm handling death— yeah, I get it, I died. You can even hit me if you get pissed enough. But you don't _ever_ get to tell me what Audrey would have wanted, you don't get to stand there and act like you knew her better than I did," he paused, the rage drained away and left him exhausted. He was always so tired lately. He took a few steps back, shaking his head as he did. "You didn't. You never will."

This time she didn't follow him when he stalked down the street towards the apartment building Paige had settled in.

3\

"That was amazing," Nathan said as he helped Paige gathered the dishes and move them to the sink. "But you know you don't have to feed me, right?" It was the fourth night that week she had invited him to her place for dinner.

"Oh, right," she huffed a laugh. "If I didn't you would eat at that bar every night."

Paige had a strong aversion to the Grey Gull. Nathan wasn't sure why, but ever since she had come to town she avoided the place like the plague. Gloria had offered Paige her apartment— Audrey's apartment, but she had turned it down, claiming she couldn't live above a bar with James. Gloria had been disappointed, it seemed she was trying to preserve the Gull, freeze it in time. A time when Duke wasn't dead...

"Are you alright?"

Nathan blinked. "Yeah, sorry. I spaced out for a minute."

She smiled, and he did his best to return it. "Is it anything I can help with?"

His brow pinched in confusion. "Is what something you can help with?"

"Whatever it is you're worrying about." She turned the faucet on, and the sink started filling with water.

He leaned against the counter. "It's nothing you should worry about. Just work stuff." It was still strange, to not talk about cases with her.

She arched a brow."You're a cop. If something in town is worrying you, I definitely want to know."

The way she spoke, for just a moment, sounded like Audrey. Just enough to remind him. Just enough to hurt. "It's a case I haven't been able to figure out."

"Is it bad?"

 _Only my nightmares come to life_ , he thought. Nathan shrugged. "Not really."

Paige didn't look convince, but at the moment James began wailing from the other room, saving him from any more questions. She went into the bedroom to get her son.

He glanced at the sink, and quickly shut off the faucet to stop the mound of foaming bubbles from spilling onto the counter. The sight brought a slight smile to his face, she always used too much soap.

4\

The doorbell rang through the house, immediately followed by the loud _thump thump thump_ of footsteps running down the stairs. Dwight smiled as Lizzie shot passed him and flung open the front door.

"We made a fort outback!" Lizzie announced to the three sisters standing on their porch.

"Cool!" Sophie exclaimed as the two girls ran down the hall towards the back door.

"Don't go to far!" Frankie yelled after them. She gave him a tired smile, holding up a ceramic dish.

"I told you not to bring anything," he said with a smile of his own, though he wasn't surprised she had.

"You told us that last time too," Amelia said, shutting the door behind her and her older sister.

"I remember," he tilted his head in thought, "I believe you brought yams."

"They would have gone bad," she waved her hand dismissively.

They moved the conversation to the kitchen, talking about nothing important as they finished making dinner. As it turned out Frankie had made a caramel banana cobbler, that Dwight was actually very glad she brought.

Once the table was set Frankie turned to Amelia. "Go get the girls, will you?"

Amelia left to drag Lizzie and Sophie away from whatever game they were playing. It was like the absence of her sister flipped a switch, Frankie suddenly looked more than tired. She looked half dead as she leaned heavily against a chair.

"Hey," Dwight set a hand on her shoulder, "what's going on, kid?"

She squeezed her eyes shut, taking a shuddering breath. "I don't know what to do. I lost my job at the coffee house, if I can't make rent this month our landlord will evict us," her shoulder began to shake with suppressed sobs, "and Sophie auditioned for the school play, and got the lead, which is great but the parents are supposed to bring the costumes, and I..." Her voice broke as she dissolved into tears.

Dwight pulled her into his arms, holding the girl who was much too young to have this much responsibility. "It's going to be fine," he assured her.

"How? I can't even afford to buy my little sister a fake sword."

"Sword?"

Frankie sniffled as she pulled away, wiping at her tear stained cheeks with her sleeve. "She's Hamlet."

He gave her a confused look. "They're putting on Hamlet?"

She laughed hoarsely. "I thought it was weird too." She squared her shoulders. "I'll figure it out, I have too, right?"

"Yes, and while you do the three of you can stay here," he said.

Frankie's eyes widened. "We couldn't. I mean, we already... We couldn't ask you to—" She sighed. "You've done so much for us. I don't want to ease my problems by adding to yours."

"It's not a problem. We have the space," he said, and it was true. His family had never had much money, but the family house was twice the size of most homes in Haven. "Besides Lizzie and Sophie would love living together."

This seemed to sway her, but before Frankie could answer Amelia returned, followed by Lizzie and Sophie who both looked slightly miffed that their game had been interrupted.

"They were having a 'sword fight'" Amelia said, using air quotes. "Which mostly meant trying to poke out their eyes with sticks..." She trailed off at the sight of her sister's red eyes. "Is everything okay?"

Frankie forced a smile. "Everything's fine." She paused for a moment, looking distantly at the floor. Then she set a hand on her hip, running the other through her dark hair as she looked back to her sisters. "How would you guys feel about staying here awhile?"

"Like we get to sleep here and everything?" Sophie asked excitedly.

Frankie nodded. Lizzie and Sophie shrieked with joy as they threw their arms around each other.

"Amelia?"

"Okay," she agreed even though she was clearly confused by the situation. If not for the eleven year olds in the room she probably would have asked more questions before accepting the sudden move.

Frankie was one trouble lighter as a genuine smile broke across her face. "Let's eat."

5\

The streets of downtown Haven were empty as the blue bronco rumbled towards Nathan's home. Dark had fallen by the time he had left Paige's apartment. It still frightened him sometimes. When he would wake up in the night and, still half asleep, would panic that the darkness would melt the flesh off his bones.

The Troubles had ended, but the trauma they had left in their wake was still causing damage.

Distracted by his thoughts he almost missed it. Nothing more than a shadow really, disappearing into an alley, but it made his skin prickle with discomfort.

Pulling onto the side of the road, he killed the engine and got out of his truck. As he followed the shadow a horrible feeling grew in the pit of his stomach. When he turned the corner his fear manifested in the form of a slim woman in a leather jacket.

For one horrifying, heart-wrenching moment he thought it was Arla, the bolt gun killer, the skin-walker. Then the girl turned as if hearing him, relief crashed over him like a wave. She looked similar, with delicate features and long blonde curls, but she was not Arla.

Before he could apologize for skulking around, the woman raised her hand to show the bolt gun in her grip. She smiled darkly, waving slowly with the weapon. Then, she vanished. And Nathan was alone, fearing what was hidden in the dark much more than the dark itself.

6\

Duke sat against the wall of freezer doors and watched Gloria shuffle around paperwork. The new body must have been gruesome to make the irreverent old woman look so disturbed. Whatever it was, it wasn't anything he could fix. It wasn't his problem, even if he wanted it to be.

"You'll figure it out. You, and Nathan... Because you're alive." He sighed, letting his head fall back against the cinder blocks. It didn't hurt. Nothing ever hurt. "Claire's right. I can't change anything, not what happened to me and not what happens to you. Why am I staying here? In this place I never wanted to come back to and then always wanted to leave... I can feel it lately. A pull to some other place. I feel like eventually it'll pull me in anyway... Goodbye, Gloria." Duke stood, and headed for the door. He would do it tonight, after he said goodbye to Nathan and Audrey, even if she didn't remember who she was, he had to say goodbye to her. Then he would ask Claire to help him move onto whatever was next.

"An orphan," Gloria's voice made him falter. Was she thinking out loud about the body? "A thief, a liar, a damn pirate," Duke slowly turned back to the woman, his heart nearly stopping when he saw she was looking straight at him. "A consultant detective, a hero. You've been a lot of things, kid, a quitter was never one of them."

"You can see me?" His voice was brittle. How could that happen? No one had seen or heard him since Dwight, the day the Troubles were purged. "How can you see me?"

"Guess having one foot in the grave gives me a visitors pass to the dead side of things," Gloria said.

Duke laughed, it was a borderline hysteric sound. She raised her brows. "Thought it'd take longer than six months to make you crack."

"I'm dead," he said, sobering suddenly.

"That's true enough," Gloria said evenly.

"I can't leave."

"I'd say that's pretty true too."

Duke pushed his fingers through his hair. What did this change? He was dead. His stomach turned at the thought of leaving after this. She could _see_ him. "What should I do?"

"How should I know? I'm just some crazy old lady talking to a dead guy." She clicked her tongue. "But if you feel a sudden pull to the light, maybe it's because something here doesn't want you in its way."

A\N: Any guesses as to who the new Bolt Gun Killer is? Please leave a review, they really do motivate writers. Thanks for reading, hopefully I'll update again soon. The quote is Audrey Hepburn.


	2. See You On The Flip Side

•

The real world is where the monsters are.

* * *

Paige ran down the sidewalk, her babysitter had been late, which meant she was late. It wasn't the end of the world, Joe was an understanding person. But the bakery was always busy on weekends, and she hated the thought of leaving him to deal with the morning rush alone.

 _Buy tea,_ she reminded herself, _and applesauce. Were they out of cereal snacks?_ Paige shook her head. _Work first._

Preoccupied with her thoughts she didn't notice the silver car coming down the road until she was halfway through the crosswalk. She stumbled back trying to avoid it, and the driver tried to slow, but both efforts were in vain.

The car hit her. Pain exploded in her thigh and lanced up through her hip as she fell. Her head hit the pavement, and star bursts of agony began pulsing in her temples.

Footsteps echoed distantly around her, people yelled, and tires squealed to a stop. None of it seemed real, like she was overhearing a news report of somewhere far away.

Then there was someone above her, a man around her age. Dark hair threaded with silver was in a messy in-between-haircuts state. Worry creased his brow.

Impossibly dark eyes met hers. An ache started in her chest, accompanied by a flood of relief. He wasn't far away. He was here.

"You're going to be just fine," he said, and she recognized his voice with a sharp sting of bittersweet regret.

 _Who are you?_ She wanted to ask, but found her mouth refused to form the words.

Darkness crept into the edge of her vision, and spread, blotting out the world. The last thing she saw was his eyes filling with panic, and then everything went dark.

* * *

Hospitals had never made Nathan uncomfortable. Most people feared pain and death, but he couldn't feel, and death was par for the course in Haven. It was different now, as he hurried down the pale yellow halls.

He knew pain again, and he couldn't handle it if after everything Paige died from a car accident. He couldn't lose her, not again. What would happen to James if she died? Would he get custody of his son? Even if he did, could he handle raising him alone?

He turned a corner, steeling his nerves for whatever waited for him. Then he saw her, and relief almost crushed him.

She sat on the edge of a hospital bed, scratched and bruised, but definitely alive. And well enough to argue apparently. "Gloria, I need to get to work."

"The only thing you need is to rest," Gloria told her, and by her tone Nathan knew any argument would be futile.

He moved to the doorway, knocking lightly on the frame. Both women turned to him. "Oh, good, you're here. Maybe you can talk some sense into this one," Gloria said.

"I'm fine," Paige told him. "Would you tell her I'm fine?"

"You can't be that fine, you're in the hospital." Nathan went to stand beside her, looking over her collection of minor injuries. "How'd this happen?"

"I got hit by a car," she said.

"I knows that part," Nathan smiled slightly at her bluntness. "I spent twenty minutes at the scene taking statements before I found out you were the victim."

"I'm not a victim," she gave a small laugh, "just an idiot. I walked right out into the road, didn't even notice the car until it was right there."

"If it were a snake it would've bit you," Gloria shook her head, probably trying to look annoyed but he could see the concern on her face.

"But instead it was a car, and it hit me."

Nathan laughed. How was she handling this so well? Last week she had screamed at the sight of a spider in her kitchen. This wasn't like Paige at all, it was so... Audrey.

He sobered. "Nothing serious?"

Gloria set the chart down on the side table with a loud _thwack._ "Serious enough that she isn't going to work."

"You said I couldn't go to sleep. Work is like the opposite of sleep," Paige argued.

"I also told you to rest," said Gloria.

"But—"

" _No._ You're going to go with Nathan to his house, let the babysitter take care of James. Nathan, you're going to keep her awake and make sure she doesn't try to go to work."

"Yes, ma'am," he said, trying not to smile at her orders.

"Fine," Paige relented, smoothing down her blouse. "Can I thank the guy that helped me, or is it that not allowed either?"

Nathan frowned. "It was a woman who called 911."

"It was a guy who helped me though. He told me I was going to be alright, and kept me from completely panicking," she told them, flashing a smile to match her light tone.

Nathan wasn't amused. "None of the witnesses mentioned a man being there."

"Tallish, dark brown eyes, some grey in his hair." She offered the vague description as she gathered her purse and pulled on her jacket. "He looked familiar actually. But, like, in a weird déjà vu way."

A horrible, unhelpful, stupidly optimistic voice in the back of his mind screamed that there was only one person who she would recognize even if she didn't remember knowing him. _Shut up_ , he thought.

"I'll see what I can find out," he promised. "Tomorrow."

Gloria looked down at her phone, giving a displeased cluck. When she saw him watching looking at her she waved towards the door. "Get out of here. Don't sleep. Don't go to the bakery," she gave Paige a hard look.

Paige held up her hands in surrender. "I got it. I'll call Joe."

Nathan managed a smile. "A day off won't kill you."

* * *

"She saw you," Claire leaned against the neutral colored wall, watching Paige sign her discharge papers.

"She saw me," Duke agreed. Saw him, heard him, and for just a moment he could swear she recognized him. He met her eyes, face impassive. "Still advocating acceptance?"

Claire sighed in defeat. "What's your plan?"

Duke shoved his hands in his pockets and shrugged happily. "Don't have one. I'll get back to you when I figure it out."

* * *

 _Cerulean, azure, cobalt blue_ , Vickie's fingers lingered over the colored pencil, glancing at the ocean once again before picking up the azure.

Most days Jimmy was too busy to go with her to possible wedding venues. So she had taken to spending her free time sketching out what the wedding would look like at each location.

"That's beautiful," a distinctly feminine voice spoke.

Vickie turned, surprised to see a woman standing on the beach near her. The woman flashed a warm smile, pushing a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear. "I didn't mean to intrude. I was just passing by and I noticed your drawing."

Vickie returned the smile. "It's too flowery, I think."

She tilted her head, studying the paper. "It's a theme, ties things together."

"Maybe. I couldn't afford that many Chrysanthemums." They could barely afford the dress. "I'm Vickie." She patted the rock beside her. "Care to sit awhile?"

"I'm Anastasia. Call me Ana." She set a hand on a rock to keep her balance as she sat, her palm slid and she gave a surprised gasped. "Oops," she muttered, as blood welled in her palm.

"I have some bandages," Vickie pulled her bag onto her lap, searching through the clutter for the roll of bandages. She pulled the white strip out. "Here, I can wrap it. Just wash it out when you get home."

"Thanks," Ana said, as Vickie bound her palm. "I'm usually not so clumsy."

Vickie shrugged. "I wouldn't worry about it. Last week I tripped carrying a tray of scalpels."

"That's definitely worse," Ana agreed.

Vickie looked back to her drawing and the ocean, considering how the sky should be done. It was an unappealing grey at the moment, but Vickie wanted to imagine it would be blue for the wedding. _As if the sky cares_ , she thought.

Her phone buzzed, and, seeing Gloria's name on her screen, she answered. "Hello?"

"Intern, we got a body in town." After giving her an address, Gloria disconnected with a simply: "Hurry."

Vickie looked at Ana apologetically. "I have to go," she told her. "But it was nice to meet you."

"You too," Ana flashed a smile.

Vickie hastily shoved her art supplies and almost finished drawing into her bag. It had been a nice day, she decided as she walked back to her car, sitting on the beach, meeting Ana.

Reaching for the door handle, she realized a drip of red was on her hand from bandaging Ana's cut. Wiping it off on her jeans she made a mental note to wash them once she got home.

* * *

"You didn't have to walk me back to my apartment," Paige told him as they neared her building.

"I know, I wanted to," he said, pleased to see her smile.

Paige crossed her arms, bumping his shoulder lightly with hers. "That's good, 'cause I sort of wanted you to too."

 _Do it now,_ he thought, as she glanced up at him, _you've been waiting for the right time. Here it is!_

"Aren't you two adorable," the voice was light, but there was an edge to it as sharp as broken glass.

Dread settled in his chest as he quickly turned to look at the blonde standing a few feet behind them on the sidewalk, the streetlight directly above her cast her face into shadows. The bolt gun was absent. Part of him wanted to believe that meant she wasn't there to kill them. But the _I live in Haven_ part of him was sure she didn't need a weapon to kill them.

"Leave, now," he said flatly, but he knew she wouldn't. No vanishing act tonight.

"Nathan, what's going on?" Paige inched nervously towards him, her eyes widening when she noticed him reaching for his gun.

"Paige, go to your apartment. Lock the door behind you," his fingers wrapped around the familiar gun handle. "Don't let anyone in."

She asked, her heel wobbled as she stumbled back. "What about you?"

Bolt gun, blonde hair, she already had two of Arla's characteristics. If she was a Skinwalker... but the Troubles were over. Weren't they? Nathan glanced at Paige. "Not even me."

Uncertainty shown in her eyes, but he knew she trusted him. Enough that, despite her doubts, she would do as he asked. Before Paige could run the woman stalked forward.

He pulled his gun, leveling it at her head. She barely spared him a glance, flicking her hand as if she were swatting an irritating bug. An unseen force crashed into him, and sent him flying. He hit the road, the force sent him rolling, his head slammed into the tire of a car parked on the curb.

When his ears stopped ringing he realized the woman was talking to Paige, who seemed rooted to her spot. Maybe it was the same power that threw him that was keeping her from running. Maybe it was just fear. "Did you really think you'd get away with it?" Psycho Blonde demanded.

Nathan wanted to get up but he couldn't move, he struggled to even breathe. The wind must have been knocked out of him, he realized.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Paige's voice began to tremble. "Please, I don't have anything. I don't know who you are."

Where was his gun? His gaze swept the road as he tried to fill his lungs again.

Whether it was the terror on Paige's face or the desperation in her voice, something gave the woman pause. She tilted her head, studying Paige carefully before she burst out laughing. High, gut-wrenching laughter. "You're an overlay!"

Nathan's search for his weapon stopped. Only a few people knew about Audrey and the overlays. A few, very trusted, people.

"Well, it's no good if you don't know why you're being punished," long, pale fingers tipped with black manicured nails reached towards Paige.

Nathan gave a strangled, "No."

Her fingers brushed Paige's forehead. Paige's knees buckled as her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed at the blonde's feet.

The woman looked to Nathan, she raised a bandaged hand and gave a small, mocking wave. Then, just as before, she vanished into nothing.

* * *

The quote is Rick Riordan


	3. The Sun, The Moon, The Truth

•

Are you sure this isn't a nightmare?

And that we won't just wake up?

* * *

 _Audrey laughed so hard her sides ached, as Bill described a middle school prank gone wrong. "For weeks he had red paint in his hair, nothing would get it out."_

 _"I wasn't nearly as cunning in seventh grade," Duke admitted, leaning back in one of the lawn chairs set out on the deck of the Cape Rouge._

 _Audrey caught her breath. "Who's day were you trying to ruin, anyway?"_

 _Duke looked uncomfortable with the question."I don't remember—"_

 _"It was Nathan," Bill supplied._

 _Audrey raised a brow. "You two have been torturing each other since seventh grade?"_

 _Bill snorted. "Way before that."_

 _"Hey, Bill," Duke began cheerfully, "shut up."_

 _Audrey shook her head as the two men bickered. Wind whipped across the deck, swaying her blonde ponytail._

I should have brought a jacket, _the thought came into her mind without prompting. She wasn't cold. Which was odd, she always got cold sitting on the Cape Rouge after dark._

 _But she didn't feel cold._

 _In fact, she didn't feel anything at all._

 _This night, this conversation... hadn't it all happened before? She looked to Duke, wondering if he felt the uncomfortably strong déjà vu. But he was gone, along with Bill, and the boat she had been on seconds before. It all spilled away like sand through her fingers..._

 _But then... what had she wanted to ask Duke?_

* * *

"There's nothing physically wrong with her," Gloria said, her arms crossed as they both watched the motionless Paige. Dust covered the side tables, and the bed before he had shaken out the old quilts. "This is... something else."

Something else was just her way of saying it was a Trouble. Vanishing, telekinesis, unexplainable coma, it all pointed to the same conclusion: the Troubled were back.

Maybe it was because she only spent three months in the barn. That had concerned him the first few weeks, and then he'd just let the fear slip to the back of his mind, wanting to believe they had gotten the happy ending they deserved.

Worried about panicking the town, he had brought Paige to her old apartment. Vickie was downstairs in the closed Gull with James and Aaron.

Nathan wanted to keep James as close as possible, terrified the blonde she-devil would include his son in her revenge. "I looked everywhere. What if I can't find her?"

Gloria glanced at him. "You will."

"Why are you so sure?"

Gloria didn't answer, he didn't need her to. They would find her because there was no other choice.

* * *

 _"Why would an angel be named Manny?" Nathan asked, focused on the least important aspect of Audrey's new favorite show. After Duke told her about the Hunter, she hadn't been able to sleep, lying awake most nights. TV distracted her from the darker thoughts that plagued her mind._

 _Audrey let her head fall back against the Bronco's seat back. "I don't know. Maybe it's short for something."_

 _"For what?"_

 _"Emanuel?"_

 _Nathan glanced at her, defeat in his blue eyes. "I still think a little variety wouldn't kill you."_

 _No, but she didn't have time to waste on things she might not like. Because the Hunter was coming, along with the barn, and its endless white halls..._

 _White halls... where James died._

 _Audrey blinked and the world disappeared._

* * *

Pink ruffles, embroidered jeans, gold clips in dark brown curls. She was almost a stranger. But her face hadn't changed, the gentle slope of her nose, her pale pink lips... It was all the same.

Duke ran a hand over his face. How had this happened? She had been fine when he left the hospital, spent the day with Nathan as far as he knew.

He had heard Nathan tell Gloria about the blonde woman who had done this. _Mara_ his irrational mind had screamed. But Mara was nothing, not anymore. There was only Audrey. Even if she called herself Paige now.

"You'll wake up," Duke assured her. "Wouldn't want to miss my dramatic entrance back into the land of the living." Once he figures out how that was going to happen. The bouts of communication seemed random. Audrey and Nathan were the mystery solvers, wouldn't it be helpful if he could talk to either of Haven's finest? Duke's fingertips ghosted over her forehead, as he wished he could push the stray curl out of her face. "Got any ideas?"

* * *

 _"Nathan is being weird," Audrey complained to Duke, twisting the toothpick in her martini glass. They were alone in the Gull, closing hour long passed._

 _"At least something in this town is consistent," Duke said._

 _She narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm serious."_

 _He braced his forearms against the bar as he leaned forward. "You always are."_

 _"Not_ always _," she argued._

 _"It's not bad, you're just... focused."_

 _Focused. That was as bad as when he managed to insult her with the word "nice"._

 _She straightened, her brows pinched in annoyance. "I'm fun."_

 _"Didn't say you weren't."_

 _"But it's what you meant."_

 _Duke tossed the dishrag he had used to clean the bar into the sink. "If I meant that I would've said that."_

 _"You never say what you mean. Sarcasm is your native language."_

 _"True, though I'm also fluent in jackass and bullshit."_

 _Audrey snorted. "Flippant too, apparently."_

 _Duke paused, dark eyes studied her with something like curiosity. Abruptly he walked over to the radio, switched it on and turned the dial until the speakers quaked with a song she didn't recognize._

 _"What are you doing?"_

 _A smirk was his reply as he ambled back to her, and held out his hand in a silent invitation. After a moment she slid her hand into his and let him pull her away from the bar._

 _"Your problem is you worry. About everything, Nathan, your past, complete strangers..." he told her as he spun her slowly. It was surreal, the fast-paced song mixed with the slow steps, the way the lights blurred as she spun..._

 _"Is that your grand advice?" Audrey asked, once she faced him again. "Don't worry?"_

 _"Do you know why you worry, and are so damn serious, when I'm not?"_

 _"Because you're fun?" she guessed, only half teasing._

 _"Because you're a good person..." he tilted his head as he smiled darkly. "And I'm not."_

 _If only he knew, she thought sadly, about everything he would do and sacrifice, for Nathan, for her, for complete strangers..._

 _She would have told him, but he was already gone._

* * *

Aaron giggled as he tottered across the floor towards Jimmy. He got to the corner of the blanket Vickie had set across the bar floor before he tripped, Jimmy caught him with a "Whoa! Too fast!" which caused Aaron to erupt into another bout of giggles.

Vickie smiled as she watched them, James laid on his tummy nearby and struggled to lift himself up on his hands and knees. With an irritated gurgle he gave up and grabbed the nearest toy he could reach.

A stack of fresh wedding sketches were in her bag, but Jimmy was keeping Aaron entertained and Vickie was too anxious to talk about the wedding. Gloria hadn't told her much, just to pick James up from the babysitter and come to the Gull. But there was something ominous about it all, Gloria's vagueness and Nathan's grim expression when he greeted her.

She reminded herself the worst possibilities weren't the most likely anymore. _Think_ _horses not zebras,_ she thought wryly.

"What's going on?" Dwight asked as he walked into the Gull. "I got a 911 text from Gloria and then she didn't return any of my calls."

A sinking feeling started in the pit of her stomach. Nathan, Gloria, Dwight, add in McHugh and the situation would spell disaster.

* * *

 _"Audrey, I'd do anything you need me to. I'd hunt down your past. I'd fight your future." Audrey had never heard Duke speak with such sincerity. It wasn't just a reassurance, or a promise, it was a confession._

 _Suggestive comments and flirting she had grown used to, but this was serious. He meant it._

 _"The past is gone, and the future... thank God, it is not here yet," she said, finally ready to let go of things she couldn't change. "All we have is..." This. Now. A man who would do anything for her._

 _On an impulse she lurched forward to kiss him, as her lips met his the world crumbled._

 _There was no fade into darkness, or a new rerun of a day long gone. Memories began to flash and blend together._

 _Silver eyes..._

 _Bullet holes in Nathan's dead body._

 _Black tears dripped down her best friend's face._

 _A cloud wall that made her feel like nothing more than a rat in Croatoan's cage._

 _Duke voice was a broken reflection of his usual playful tone, too sharp and harsh. For the first time she felt truly hopeless as she genuinely feared one of the people she loved most._

 _Croatoan appeared so human. If Audrey had met him under different circumstances she never would have guessed he was capable of causing so much suffering, of turning people against each other, of making Nathan feel inhuman, of turning Duke into something she didn't recognize. He was just another person, with reasons like anyone else, and she hated him._

 _"I'm Duke Crocker. And I really just want to be a pirate again." The words echoed around her as he stilled, and the light went out in his brown eyes. It was worse somehow than the silver or black, to see his real eyes and for them to be completely empty._

 _Audrey stood in the armory door and watched Nathan walk away, and take with him her dreams of a real life. But they all made sacrifices, and she couldn't let it all be in vain._

 _They all made sacrifices, and now she would make hers, willingly..._

Her eyes opened as her breath caught. It was a familiar sight, the dusty wooden beams above her bed, the soft afternoon light.

Footsteps sounded, and Nathan appeared beside her. "Paige?"

"Parker," Audrey breathed.

* * *

A\N

Thanks for reading! The song in the Gull when Audrey and Duke dance is In For The Kill by La Roux. The quote is Alexandra Bracken.


End file.
